Department for Transport

Ferries: Minimum Wage

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require UK registered ferry operators to pay the Minimum Wage to all employees.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: I have proposed, subject to Parliamentary time, amending legislation be made in autumn that will extend the Minimum Wage to all seafarers working domestically in the UK and this will include all ferries that are working domestic routes in the UK. The amending legislation will be subject to the affirmative process and it is expected to enter into force in April 2020. This will align with the annual amendment to the minimum wage rates and should simplify the administrative processes for industry.

Ferries: Minimum Wage

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from unions on UK registered ferry operators paying staff less than the Minimum Wage.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: I have received several representations from unions on staff being paid less than the Minimum Wage on ferries operating from the UK on specific routes, including those being operated by UK registered operators. The vessels are operating domestic and international destinations. Where specific vessels have been referenced by the unions these were not registered on the UK ship register. The current legislation applies to all seafarers working in the UK internal waters and who is a worker as per the definition in the National Minimum Wage Act 1998. It also applies to those working outside the internal waters if they are working on a UK registered vessel and are ordinarily resident in the UK and some of their work is in the UK. Seafarers who are not resident in the UK and are working outside the UK internal waters are not covered by the legislation. The proposed amendments will extend the protections of the National Minimum Wage Act to all seafarers working domestically in the UK territorial waters on all vessels. If a seafarer is entitled to the Minimum Wage than this should be raised immediately with the HMRC enforcement team. Every complaint made is considered by HMRC for investigation.

Railways

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the distance is via rail to the relevant London terminal from each station outside London; and what the price per mile is of a peak time return ticket to London from each of those stations.

Grant Shapps: The Department does not hold this information, however fare information for specific destinations can be obtained from the Rail Delivery Group through the National Rail fares look up tool (www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Registration

Lee Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department used to calculate the £950,000 cost of the annual upgrade of the UK Drone Registration Scheme.

Lee Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what evidence his Department based its estimate of the predicted registration of 170,000 drone users within the first 18 months of the UK Drone Registration Scheme.

Grant Shapps: The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) consultation document explains that the predicted 170,000 unmanned aircraft operator registration figure has been calculated using adoption rates for other national registration schemes (such as those in Ireland and the United States) against the UK population, and available research on drone use and attitudes. The document also sets out the rationale for the cost of ongoing upgrades to the service. The initial scheme will be launched with a minimum scope and service level and, in common with best practice and the Government Digital Service framework, the CAA plans to make minor service improvements and major functionality improvements. Major improvements may include a renewal invitation process and incorporate the existing unmanned aircraft service for commercial operators.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Registration

Lee Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK Drone Registration Scheme on levels of criminal activity involving drones.

Grant Shapps: The Government’s response to the 2018 consultation on ‘Taking Flight: The Future of Drones in the UK’ sets out that it is likely that the majority of users of small unmanned aircraft (SUAs) who break the law, do so unintentionally. Therefore, the introduction of a registration and education scheme will raise awareness of how to safely fly an unmanned aircraft. SUAs will be required to display their registration number on their aircraft, which will help law enforcement agencies identify the operator of the aircraft where an offence has been committed whether intentionally or otherwise. The Government recognises that a requirement to register will not prevent criminals intent on breaking the law from causing damage and disruption. That is why it plans to introduce the Unmanned Aircraft Bill, which includes new police powers to help tackle the misuse of unmanned aircraft. The Department for Transport is also working closely with Home Office, other Government departments, police forces, airports and other stakeholders to ensure a joined up, holistic approach to safety and security in relation to unmanned aircraft.

Railways: Standards

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of services leaving each railway station were (a) cancelled or significantly late and (b) met the public performance measure in each of the last five years.

Grant Shapps: We recognise performance on the railway has been unsatisfactory, and passengers have not always received the level of service they expected. While performance has improved recently, the new Transport Secretary understands passengers need the certainty of reliable journeys, and is determined to work with industry to improve performance. Official statistics on passenger rail reliability and performance are published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Cancellations and Significant Lateness (CaSL) measures the proportion of trains arriving at the final destination more than 30 minutes after the planned timetable or is cancelled either in full or in part. The Public Performance Measure (PPM) is defined as the percentage of trains arriving at the final destination within five minutes of the planned timetable for London and South East, Regional and Scotland operators, or within ten minutes for the Long Distance operators. Both PPM and CaSL measures reflect punctuality and reliability at the final destination, rather than at each station stop. For ease of reference, the national PPM and CaSL scores for the last 5 years are included in the table below. Table 1 – National PPM and CaSL, 2014-15 to 2018-19 2014-152015-162016-172017-182018-19PPM89.7%89.1%87.7%87.8%86.3%CaSL2.8%3.1%3.8%3.9%4.3% Source: ORR The latest PPM and CaSL statistics can be found on the ORR website at the below link: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-and-freight-rail-performance/ Since April 2019, the industry has adopted a new set of standard measures for measuring train performance including punctuality at each recorded station stop. The latest statistics are available from the below link: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-and-freight-rail-performance/train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-toc-table-365/ Further performance statistics for specific stations are held by Network Rail. We advise you contact them directly for further information.

Shipping: Registration

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his maritime policies of the decision by international shipping company CMA CGM to reflag 40 vessels away from the UK Ship Register between February and April 2019.

Grant Shapps: As an international shipping company, CMA CGM can make their own conclusions about which Flag State they are flagged based on their business and operational requirements.

Shipping: Registration

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his maritime policies of the figures published by Lloyds List Intelligence in June 2019 which showed that the UK Ship Register lost a third of its tonnage in the past 12 months.

Grant Shapps: In June 2019, the UK Flag attracted over 60,000 Gross Tonnes (GT) to the UK Ship Register. The Government also launched its Maritime 2050 strategy that sets a clear and ambitious vision for the industry over the next three decades. A maritime policy decision was made to expand owner eligibility and bareboat charter out services from March 2019 which allows more quality companies to join the UK Flag, ones that would not require an EU Flag post Brexit. This change increases the likelihood of growing the UK Ship Register.

Shipping: Registration

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on changes to the UK Ship Register.

Grant Shapps: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has agreed Maritime Growth as one of its three core strategic priorities and they intend to offer increasingly high‑quality services to enhance the UK Flag’s reputation, which in turn will hopefully attract new customers. They have also integrated the UK Ship Register with its operational Directorate of Maritime Standards and Services to ensure that they are best placed for delivering services in the future.

Roads: Safety

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2019 to Question 275760, what assessment he has made of the effect of delaying the reassessment of the star rating of the strategic road network for the planning and resource allocation for major risk areas in Road Investment Strategy 2 between 2020 and 2025.

Grant Shapps: The second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) will, among other things, set performance objectives for Highways England and the funding available to deliver them. It is for Highways England to decide what action to take and where in order to achieve those objectives. Highways England will review the star rating of the strategic road network when it is re-evaluated in support of its delivery of RIS2.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

European Regional Development Fund

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which parts of the Government’s plan for European Regional Development funding in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which parts of the Government’s plan for European Social Fund grants in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which parts of the Government’s plan for European Territorial Cooperation funding in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which parts of the Government’s plan for Horizon 2020 funding in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.

Kelly Tolhurst: In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, the Government has guaranteed Horizon 2020, European Territorial Co-Operation, European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund funding due to UK organisations, in line with the Technical Notices published on these issues. BEIS and other delivery organisations have well-developed contingency plans to implement this guarantee, if required. I refer the hon. Member to the technical notices published by the government on the guarantee, and the funds covered by it, for further details.

Post Office: Herbert Smith Freehills

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2019 Question 275136, when Herbert Smith Freehills was added to the list of law firms enlisted to provide legal support to Post Office Limited.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business.  Operational matters, such as the choice of legal representations, are commercial decisions for the Post Office to take.. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Office: Herbert Smith Freehills

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what tendering process was followed prior to inclusion of Herbert Smith Freehills in the list of law firms able to provide legal services to Post Office Limited.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Operational matters, such as the choice of legal representation, are commercial decisions for the for the Post Office.  I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Small Businesses: North Cornwall

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how the Government-backed British business bank will help support small businesses in North Cornwall constituency.

Kelly Tolhurst: We are committed to ensuring all small businesses have access to the support they need to succeed to start, grow, and scale their businesses. The Government-backed British Business Bank is there to make finance markets work better for small businesses at all stages of their development. The Bank’s programmes are currently supporting over £6.6bn of finance to over 89,000 smaller businesses (as at end-March 2019). The British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans programme provides loans to entrepreneurs seeking to start and grow their own businesses. Since 2012, the programme has delivered almost 65,000 loans, worth nearly £511m to small businesses (as at end-June 2019). In North Cornwall specifically, since 2014 the Bank has supported over £5.75m of finance to over 180 smaller businesses (as of July 2019). 99 Start-Up Loans have been issued in North Cornwall, totalling £912,033. The Bank’s programmes will continue to support smaller businesses in North Cornwall. In June 2018, the British Business Bank launched the £40m Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) to provide debt and equity finance in this area. The fund has deployed £1.9m into 10 small businesses as at the end of May 2019. The Bank’s online Finance Hub helps small business owners identify potential sources of finance via the finance finder web tool. The Business Bank has also established a UK Network, with team members based within each of the English regions and the three Devolved Nations, including a representative for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. The UK Network works with small business finance intermediaries to enhance business finance ecosystems across the UK, so smaller businesses, wherever they are, can grow and prosper.

Directors: Females

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that more women enter leadership and executive roles in companies.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is committed to working with the business community to create more inclusive workplaces from the shop floor to the boardroom. The Government has commissioned and supports several business-led, independent reviews on promoting diversity, including the Hampton-Alexander Review to increase the representation of women on boards and in senior leadership positions in FTSE 350 companies to 33% by 2020 and the Parker Review to increase the ethnic diversity of FTSE 350 boards by 2024.These reviews form part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy which aims to build an economy that works for all. The statistics recently published by the Hampton-Alexander Review on 1st July, show that the representation of women on FTSE100 boards has risen from 12.5% in 2011 to 32.3%, and on FTSE350 boards from 9.5% to 29.5%; and all-male boards in the FTSE 350 have gone down from 152 to 4 in the same period.

Enterprise Zones: Finance

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to enterprise zones.

Kelly Tolhurst: Enterprise Zones act as a driving force for growth in local economies as they unlock key development sites, consolidate infrastructure, attract business and create jobs across 48 locations within England. Government has provided a range of funding and other incentives for Enterprise Zones, including a £120 million ‘Building Foundations for Growth’ grant fund to accelerate development in Enterprise Zones, a five year tax relief for businesses and simplified planning processes. LEPs have utilised proportions of their Growth Deal programmes to support development in their Enterprise Zones. The ability to retain business rates locally for 25 years allows LEPs to borrow against predicted income which provides a sustainable funding model to support improvements required in the Enterprise Zone as well as in the wider local economy.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the February 2019 Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit Zero Carbon Homes report that had the Zero Carbon Homes policy not been cancelled, occupants of new homes built since the intended policy start date of 2016 would be saving more than £200 per year on their energy bills, and that the total extra cumulative energy costs paid by those homeowners to date is more than £120 million.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government has noted the findings presented in the Zero Carbon Homes report and is preparing to consult on options to deliver the Government’s ambitious commitments for future housing.

Industry: Public Consultation

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has for public consultation during the development of local industrial strategies.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department will give to Local Enterprise Partnerships on the development of local industrial strategies.

Kelly Tolhurst: Local Industrial Strategies are developed locally and agreed with government. In the policy prospectus published in October 2018, we set out that Local Industrial Strategies should be the product of consultation with businesses, a broad range of public partners and civil society. In addition to this, the ‘Strengthened Local Enterprise Partnerships’ Review published in July 2018 made clear that Local Enterprise Partnerships should operate to the highest standards of accountability and transparency and ensure the communities they represent can influence the economic plans for the area. To be successful, Local Industrial Strategies must be developed from the bottom up and led by those who best know the needs of local economies. This locally led approach means Local Enterprise Partnerships and Mayoral Combined Authorities should choose how they work in partnership with both public and private stakeholders and determine the best way to consult the public. Places have taken different approaches to public consultation; the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Oxford-Cambridge Arc and West of England Local Industrial Strategies, published recently, demonstrate this.

Lighting: Housing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of lightbulbs in use in households that are LED.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Approximately 20% of the lightbulbs currently in use in households in the UK are LED.

Housing: Climate Change

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to implement the policy recommendations made by the Committee on Climate Change in its report entitled UK housing: Fit for the future on adapting the UK’s housing stock to the impacts of climate change.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Government is carefully considering advice received from the Committee on Climate Change as we develop our future policy on housing.

Post Offices: Rural Areas

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support rural post offices.

Kelly Tolhurst: While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business.The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in rural communities across the UK; this is why the Government committed in its 2017 manifesto to safeguard the post office network and enhance the provision of rural services.Thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010 the overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches. This investment includes the continuation of subsidy payments to support community post offices, the last shop in the village.In addition, I met with Lord Gardiner of Kimble, the Minister for Rural Affairs, on 26 June 2019 to discuss the key role rural post offices play in communities. It remains a Government priority, as stated in the 2017 Conservative manifesto, to ensure the rural network is protected.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Peru: Press Freedom

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Peru on freedom of the press and the role of investigative journalists in that country.

Christopher Pincher: The British Ambassador in Peru raised Media Freedom with Foreign Minister Popolizio on 24 June, extending to him an invitation to the Global Conference on Media Freedom in London in July.In his opening speech at the Conference, the former Foreign Secretary hailed the work of Investigative Journalist Gustavo Gorriti of IDL-Reporteros, noting that he "has brought to light a series of corruption scandals involving business, the government and the judiciary". Mr Gorriti sent a video message in support of the Conference, and his fellow investigative journalists Paola Ugaz and Pedro Salinas were able to attend at the British Government's invitation.The United Kingdom is fully committed to the promotion of media freedom and the protection of journalists. In 2019, the former Foreign Secretary announced our launch of the international campaign to end the climate of impunity and mobilise a consensus behind protection of journalists worldwide. We are currently considering how this campaign can best add value and reinforce existing mechanisms, including those of the UN and other international organisations. We have held discussions with Reporters Without Borders and are actively reviewing their proposal for a dedicated UN position on this issue.

Albania: Politics and Government

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Government of Albania and (b) political parties in Albania on the boycott of that country's Parliament by opposition parties.

Christopher Pincher: We hold regular discussions with the Government of Albania and opposition parties and have urged both sides to engage in dialogue to resolve their political differences. The previous Prime Minister raised the need for political dialogue with Prime Minister Rama at the Poznan Summit. The then Minister of State for Europe and the Americas also saw acting Foreign Minister, Gent Cakaj, in Poznan, where they discussed the impasse in Albania and broader political challenges in the Western Balkans.

British Virgin Islands: Diplomatic Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to improve diplomatic relations with the British Virgin Islands.

Christopher Pincher: As a British Overseas Territory, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) has no international legal personality separate from that of the United Kingdom, therefore no "diplomatic relations" exist in the traditional sense of the term. The United Kingdom and the BVI, along with the other Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies form an undivided realm. The roles of the United Kingdom, the Governor and the elected government are set out in the Constitution of the BVI. As with all Overseas Territories, the United Kingdom Government works in partnership with the government of the BVI across a wide range of issues.

Pitcairn Islands: Foreign Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from the Pitcairn Islands.

Christopher Pincher: Minister for the Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, held a bilateral meeting with Leslie Jaques, Lead Councillor for International Relations and Divisional Manager for Economics and Finance for Pitcairn at the Joint Ministerial Council in December 2018. The Minister reaffirmed the future sustainability of the island as being an important issue for Government, reassured that we remain committed to fully involving the Overseas Territories in the EU exit negotiation process and welcomed the positive findings of the Child Safety Review.The Governor for Pitcairn visited the islands in May 2018, and is planning a further visit this August.I was also glad to learn of the amazing work the Islanders contributed to on cleaning some of the horrendous plastic pollution from the beaches of Henderson Island (which is part of the Pitcairn group) last month.

Turkey: Cyprus

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on reports of exploration and drilling vessels entering the Cyprus exclusive economic zone.

Christopher Pincher: The then Minister of State for Europe and the Americas spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusolgu on 9 July to reiterate the United Kingdom's opposition to Turkish drilling plans in the waters around Cyprus and encourage de-escalation. We continue to support the Republic of Cyprus's right to exploit the oil and gas in its internationally agreed Exclusive Economic Zone.

Turkey: Cyprus

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his EU counterparts on Turkish exploration and drilling vessels entering the Cyprus exclusive economic zone.

Christopher Pincher: The United Kingdom Government has discussed the issue of Turkish exploration and drilling in the waters around Cyprus several times with other EU Member States. We have repeatedly expressed our opposition to Turkish drilling plans, and have called for de-escalation. We continue to support the Republic of Cyprus’ right to exploit the oil and gas in its internationally agreed Exclusive Economic Zone.

Pakistan: Capital Punishment

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Counter Terrorism Associated Prosecutory Reforms initiative monitors the number of death sentences handed down by the civilian anti-terror court in Pakistan.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Counter Terrorism Associated Prosecutorial Reform Initiative programme does not manage cases through the Anti-Terrorism Courts in Pakistan. The programme supports the reform of the criminal justice system and the Government is confident it has been delivered in a way that is consistent with our opposition to the death penalty.   All our capacity building work is carefully considered using our Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) Guidance, which ensures the assistance being provided is properly assessed against a comprehensive range of human rights risks, including possible indirect outcomes of our activity and what mitigations are being put in place.

Pakistan: Counter-terrorism

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions the Government’s Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessment for the Counter Terrorism Associated Prosecutorial Reforms Initiative programme in Pakistan has been reviewed; how many times the risk assessment for that programme has been revised; and on how many occasions a Minister in his Department has approved the continuation of this programme.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Counter Terrorism Associated Prosecutorial Reform Initiative programme does not manage cases through the Anti-Terrorism Courts in Pakistan. The programme supports the reform of the criminal justice system and the Government is confident it has been delivered in a way that is consistent with our opposition to the death penalty. All our capacity building work is carefully considered using our Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) Guidance, which ensures the assistance being provided is properly assessed against a comprehensive range of human rights risks, including possible indirect outcomes of our activity and what mitigations are being put in place. The Guidance instructs when OSJAs are prepared, that they should be regularly updated and when Ministers must be consulted. The OSJA checklist continues to be a live document and updated as necessary. Mr Field, the former Minister for Asia and the Pacific at the time, received regular updates on the risks associated with the Rule of Law programme’s activities.

Italy: Shipping

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Italian counterpart on (a) the seizure of international NGO vessels and (b) its potential violations of international maritime law.

Christopher Pincher: The United Kingdom and Italy participate frequently in discussions on Mediterranean migration, most recently at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 15 July, the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 18 July, and at an informal Ministerial meeting hosted by France on 22 July. These discussions include the role of NGO-operated Search and Rescue vessels and relevant international maritime law. There are divergent views amongst EU member States. The United Kingdom supports a predictable mechanism for the disembarkation and relocation of rescued migrants, and for all signatories to meet their obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.

Abdullatif Nasser

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July to Written Question 276505 on Abdullatif Nasser, if his Department will make representations to the US Administration for the release of Abdullatif Nasser.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The case relating to NASSER is a matter for the US and Moroccan authorities. The British Government’s long-standing position remains that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close.

Iran: Tankers

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the location of the Grace One oil tanker was when it was seized; and what the specific EU sanction is that it was seized under and impounded.

Christopher Pincher: The Grace One was in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters at a point two miles off the Eastside of Gibraltar when it was seized. The action taken by the Government of Gibraltar was entirely lawful in line with both EU and Gibraltarian law. Action was taken as the oil was believed to be travelling to an entity that is subject to EU sanctions under EU regulation 36/2012.Article 14(2) of Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 provides that no funds or economic resources shall be made available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of persons designated under the EU Syria sanctions regime. The definition of ˜economic resources" at Article 1(f) of the Regulation encompasses assets of every kind, including oil. The Government of Gibraltar had reasonable grounds to suspect that the Grace One intended to supply oil to Baniyas Refinery Company in Syria, which has been designated by the EU since 23 July 2014.

Sanctions

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what parts of the Government’s plan for sanctions policy in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Christopher Pincher: The Government is ready to implement sanctions if we leave the EU in a no deal scenario. It has laid Statutory Instruments (SIs) for 18 priority geographic and thematic sanctions regimes under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act (2018). Retained EU law will maintain the remainder as the Government continues to lay SIs; all sanctions regimes will be under domestic legislation by the end of the year. We have also reviewed and strengthened all our individual designation evidence and prepared processes for the efficient and robust operation of our sanctions. As international law requires, the United Kingdom will implement UN sanctions regimes in domestic law after withdrawal from the EU, using the powers in the Act.

Germany: Muslims

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise with his German counterpart the decision by the City of Koblenz to ban the burqa at public swimming pools.

Christopher Pincher: Thank you for asking me to consider the ban on the burqa at swimming pools in Koblenz. I can confirm that the ban is no longer in place.

Department for Education

Citizenship: Education

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the number of (a) students training to be citizenship education teachers and (b) schools providing GCSE citizenship education as an option.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 23 July 2019



The annual Initial Teacher Training (ITT) census provides data on the number of trainee teachers recruited each year in which citizenship trainees are included in the “Other” subject category.Analysis of the underlying data shows that in the academic year 2018-19, 37 postgraduate trainees began training in citizenship.[1][2] Of the 385 trainees included in the “Other” subject category, 146 trainees do not belong to any of the available subject categories and therefore it is not known if any of these are citizenship trainees. The Department does not collect data on the subject options provided in schools therefore entries into GCSE citizenship by schools included in Key Stage 4 performance tables has been provided instead. In 2018, 492 schools included in Key Stage 4 performance tables had pupils with entries into GCSE Citizenship. [3][4][5] This accounts for 9.3% of schools included in Key Stage 4 performance tables for that year. Citizenship is an important part of the national curriculum at Key Stage 3 and 4. We want all children to leave school with the knowledge, skills, and values that will prepare them to be citizens in modern Britain. Schools have freedom to decide how they wish to teach the citizenship curriculum to meet the needs of all their pupils.  [1] Figures for 2018/19 are provisional and subject to change.[2] Data was extracted on 19 November 2018.[3] Includes state funded and independent schools, excludes alternative provision and pupil referral units. School performance tables includes schools based on their status as of 12 September the previous year.[4] Only entries by pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 at schools which were published Key Stage 4 performance tables are included and no discounting has been applied so these totals may differ from those reported in our statistical release.[5] In 2018, the reformed 9-1 GCSE in Citizenship counted in performance tables for the first time, replacing the unreformed A*-G qualification in the same subject. Once a reformed qualification is included in performance tables, the unreformed qualification no longer counts, regardless of when it was entered.

Wakefield City Academies Trust: Deloitte and Touche

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 275165 on Wakefield City Academies Trust: Deloitte and Touche, how much he expects his Department will pay in total to Deloitte in relation to Wakefield City Academies Trust.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 25 July 2019



The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) expects to pay £198,570 to Deloitte for services in relation to Wakefield City Academies Trust to undertake a financial review of all 21 schools, provide assurance on the Trust’s financial position and advise on options to support the closure of the Trust.The contract between ESFA and Deloitte LLP, which includes the full scope of the services, is published on Contracts Finder. https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d85bc16e-739c-4191-80ba-60fbee8d56ae?p=@FQxUlRRPT0=NjJNT08=U.

Schools: Uniforms

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2019 to Question 277859, whether he currently has the legislative authority to place guidance on school uniforms on a statutory footing.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 25 July 2019



The Department intend to put the school uniform guidance on a statutory footing when a suitable legislative opportunity arises. No education bill was announced in the most recent Queen’s speech, which set out the proposed legislative programme for this session of Parliament.Statutory guidance cannot be issued without the legislative powers to do so.

Institutes of Technology and Specialist Schools: Location

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the locations are of (a) specialist maths schools and (b) Institutes of Technology; and whether it is his policy to ensure that every major city in England has each of those institutions.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 25 July 2019



There are two open maths schools located in London and Exeter. Four more schools are in the pre-opening stage and will be located in Cambridge, Liverpool, Surrey and Lancashire. The Department is developing a network of new maths schools across England, working with leading universities and building on the success of the two open schools. The Government is committed to opening more maths schools. Details on the 12 Institutes of Technology that the Department has announced can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/institutes-of-technology--2. The Department has acknowledged that there might be some areas of the country where there were no proposals that met our quality standard in this competition. The Department will review the extent of geographical ‘cold spots’ in Institutes of Technology provision to determine whether a future competition should be considered.

Schools

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new schools other than free schools have been (a) opened in each academic year since 2015-16 and (b) approved for opening in future years.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 24 July 2019



The Department expects that the free schools route will be the main route for establishing new schools in England. Where local authorities identify the need for a new school, section 6A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 requires them to seek proposals to establish a free school.However, it remains possible for proposers to publish proposals for a new local authority maintained school at any time in a limited set of circumstances.The table attached sets out the number of new provision local authority maintained schools established compared to the number of free schools, since the 2015/16 academic year[1].There is one foundation school proposed to open in 2019/20 and 284 pipeline free schools.On 29 May 2019, the Department announced the outcome of the first round of the Voluntary Aided Capital Scheme, which gave in-principle agreement for the Department to fund the establishment of a new voluntary aided school. The Department also placed two further bids on hold whilst we work with the proposers to identify a suitable site for their proposed school. The successful proposer will now need to follow the statutory process for establishing a new maintained school. The local authority will be responsible for making the final decision as to whether to approve the school.  [1] This data is taken from Get Information about Schools (GIAS). Responsibility for updating GIAS is shared between the Department, local authorities and schools and is continuously updated. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data. This data includes schools whose reason for opening is listed as ‘new provision’ on GIAS. The Ofsted definition of a mainstream maintained state school does not include nursery provision, special schools or alternative provision.



280443_Table
(Word Document, 27.11 KB)

Children: Exploitation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the need for a contextual safeguarding framework to be used alongside other safeguarding models within the child protection system in order to more effectively identify and support children who are being exploited.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children: Exploitation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 273801 on Child Exploitation, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing a contextual safeguarding framework to be used alongside other safeguarding models within the child protection system in order to better identify and support children being exploited.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children: Exploitation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 273801 on Child Exploitation, if his Department will take steps to ensure that (a) local authorities and (b) police forces collect data on children at risk of criminal exploitation within their areas.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Electronic Tagging

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people released on Home Detention Curfew in each year since 2010 were serving sentences relating to (a) criminal damage and arson, (b) drug offences, (c) fraud, (d) miscellaneous crimes against society, (e) possession of weapons, (f) public order, (g) robbery, (h) sexual offences, (i) summary motoring, (j) summary non-motoring, (k) theft and (l) violence against the person.

Lucy Frazer: HDC is a robust scheme which allows suitable, risk assessed, prisoners to work towards rehabilitation in the community, while remaining subject to strict monitoring and other conditions. If they breach these, they can be returned to custody. HDC allows reintegration back into the community in a controlled and supervised way, which research suggests may help to reduce the risk of further offending. The attached table shows the number and proportion of offenders released on Home Detention Curfew, in each year since 2010 by offence group.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 18.42 KB)

Sentencing

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted but did not receive an immediate custodial sentence who had (a) zero, (b) between one and four, (c) between five and nine, (d) between 10 and 15, (e) between 16 and 25, (f) between 26 and 50, (g) between 51 and 75, (h) between 76 and 100 and (i) 101 or more previous convictions for (i) violence against the person, (ii) theft, (iii) drug offences, (iv) robbery, (v) common assault and battery, (vi) burglary in a dwelling, (vi) production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug - Class A, (vii) possession of an article with a blade or point and (viii) assaulting, resisting or obstructing a constable or designated officer in execution of duty in each of the last 10 years.

Lucy Frazer: The number of people who were convicted but did not receive an immediate custodial sentence who had (a) zero, (b) between one and four, (c) between five and nine, (d) between 10 and 15, (e) between 16 and 25, (f) between 26 and 50, (g) between 51 and 75, (h) between 76 and 100 and (i) 101 or more previous convictions for (i) violence against the person, (ii) theft, (iii) drug offences, (iv) robbery, (v) common assault and battery, (vi) burglary in a dwelling, (vi) production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug - Class A, (vii) possession of an article with a blade or point and (viii) assaulting, resisting or obstructing a constable or designated officer in execution of duty in each of the last 10 years can be viewed in the table.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 17.88 KB)

Prisoners: Education

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prison education is provided under the dynamic purchasing system in each prison.

Lucy Frazer: Under the new model for education delivery for prisons in England, which went live on 1 April 2019, prison managers are responsible for decision-making about their curriculum, how it is organised and who delivers it. The information requested is held by each prison individually and could only therefore be provided at disproportionate cost The Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) enables Governors to commission innovative, specialist or one-off education provision for their establishment. The DPS is an electronic system used to purchase commonly used goods and services. Unlike traditional frameworks which are closed to new entrants for their duration the DPS allows suppliers to apply to join or decide to leave at any time during its term.

Dangerous Driving: Sentencing

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans the Government has to introduce tougher sentences for people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

Lucy Frazer: We will bring forward proposals for changes in the law as soon as possible. These proposals will take account of other government proposals for safer roads.

Assaults On Police: Convictions

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted of assault of a police officer in each year since 2007 who had (a) 26 to 50, (b) 51 to 75, (c) 76 to 100 and (d) over 100 previous convictions or cautions; how many people in each of those categories received a (i) custodial and (ii) non custodial sentence, and what the average length of custodial sentence was.

Lucy Frazer: The number of people convicted of an assault of a police officer, in each year since 2007, with more than 26 convictions, and the number of people who received a non-custodial or custodial sentence, and the average length of custodial sentences, can be found in the tables 1 and 2.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 23.72 KB)

Crime: Convictions

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people who have previously received (a) 25 or more and (b) 50 or more convictions or cautions, have been convicted of an offence and not been given a custodial sentence in each year since 2007; and how many of those people have previously been convicted of (i) possession of a blade or point, (ii) possession of an offensive weapon, (iii) common assault, (iv) assaulting a police officer, (v) sexual assault, (vi) public order, (vii) theft, (viii) robbery, (ix) burglary, (x) drugs, (xi) criminal damage, (xii) breach of anti social behaviour order, (xiii) fraud and (xiv) vehicle taking.

Lucy Frazer: The number of people who have previously received (a) 25 or more and (b) 50 or more convictions or cautions, have been convicted of an offence and not been given a custodial sentence in each year since 2007; and the number of those people have previously been convicted of (i) possession of a blade or point, (ii) possession of an offensive weapon, (iii) common assault, (iv) assaulting a police officer, (v) sexual assault, (vi) public order, (vii) theft, (viii) robbery, (ix) burglary, (x) drugs, (xi) criminal damage, (xii) breach of anti social behaviour order, (xiii) fraud and (xiv) vehicle taking can be viewed in the table.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 15.73 KB)

Prison Sentences

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence for the first time for (a) possession of a blade or point, (b) possession of an offensive weapon, (c) common assault, (d) assaulting a police officer, (e) sexual assault, (f) public order, (g) theft, (h) robbery, (i) burglary, (j) drugs, (k) criminal damage, (l) breach of and anti-social behaviour order, (m) fraud and (n) vehicle taking had (i) no, (ii) between one and four, (iii) between five and nine, (iv) between 10 and 15, (v) between 16 and 25, (vi) between 26 and 50, (vii) between 51 and 75, (viii) between 76 and 100 and (ix) 101 or more convictions and cautions for previous offences of any type in each year since 2007.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of previous (a) cautions and (b) convictions offenders had before being sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence for the first time for (i) possession of a blade or point, (ii) possession of an offensive weapon, (iii) common assault, (iv) assaulting a police officer, (v) sexual assault, (vi) public order, (vii) theft, (viii) robbery, (ix) burglary, (x) drugs, (xi) criminal damage, (xii) breach of anti social behaviour order, (xiii) fraud and (xiv) vehicle taking in each year since 2007.

Lucy Frazer: The information requested is provided in the tables attached with this answer. These tables include data, covering the period 2007 – 2018, on:The number of offenders with a specified number of previous convictions and cautions for any offence, who were sentenced to immediate custody for the first time for a specified offence.The average number of previous convictions for any offence, and the average number of previous cautions for any offence, for offenders who were sentenced to immediate custody for the first time for a specified offence. This data is not regularly published or held in an easily accessible format. The information supplied has been sourced from a number of complicated retrievals from the Police National Computer database.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 25.47 KB)

Alternatives to Prison

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the largest number of community sentences previously received by an offender who was (a) convicted of a crime and (b) convicted of a crime and sentenced to a community sentence in each year since 2007.

Lucy Frazer: The largest number of community sentences previously received by an offender who was (a) convicted of a crime and (b) convicted of a crime and sentenced to a community sentence in each year since 2007 can be viewed in the table.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 10.31 KB)

Burglary: Sentencing

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of people sentenced for domestic burglary for (a) the third time and (b) more than three times received an immediate custodial sentence of (i) less than three years, (ii) exactly three years and (iii) more than three years in each year since 2007.

Lucy Frazer: This data is not regularly published or held in an easily accessible format. The information supplied in the table attached has been sourced from several complicated retrievals from the Police National Computer database.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 14.23 KB)

Offenders: Homelessness

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 on the (a) effectiveness of joint-working between criminal justice agencies and local authorities and (b) homelessness.

Lucy Frazer: Everyone leaving custody should have a safe and suitable home to go to on release; having somewhere to live gives people a stable platform from which to access health services, hold down a job and reduces the likelihood of them reoffending.Ministry of Justice officials are working closely with officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to monitor the referrals being made and to facilitate joint working between local authorities and prison and probation providers.Overcoming the many barriers offenders face to securing suitable accommodation is something that Ministry of Justice cannot do in isolation. While statutory responsibility for housing (including planning) and homelessness lies with local authorities in England, and with the Welsh Assembly in Wales, we are committed to working with other departments to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

Probation: Death

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department takes to (a) monitor, (b) investigate, (c) learn lessons for prevention from and (d) respond at a (i) local and (ii) national level to deaths of offenders in the community on post custody supervision.

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the rise in deaths of people on post-custody supervision since 2010.

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people died whilst under post-release supervision in 2017-18; and what the (a) number of days between release from prison and date of death and (b) cause of death was in each of those cases.

Lucy Frazer: All deaths of offenders under supervision are the subject of an internal review by the relevant probation provider, which must consider from the circumstances whether any areas of probation practice could be improved. This includes the deaths of those being supervised after release from custody. Probation providers report annually to Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service on the numbers of deaths and their causes, and share learning points from the reviews that they have conducted. A small number of deaths under post-release supervision, including those that occur in Approved Premises, are independently investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. The number of offenders who died under supervision increased from 704 in 2010/11 to 955 in 2017/18. The Offender Rehabilitation Act (ORA) was introduced on 1 February 2015 and resulted in an increase in the number of offenders on post-release supervision. While the total number of deaths under supervision has continued to increase, the number of deaths post-release fell by 8% in the last year, from 401 in 2016/17 to 367 in 2017/18. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy identifies people in contact with the criminal justice system as a high-risk group, and we recognise that the time following release from prison can be a particularly high-risk period for suicide and for deaths from other causes. The primary role of probation is to protect the public and prevent re-offending, and people under supervision in the community are not in the care of HM Prison and Probation Service in the way that they are when in custody. While probation staff do everything they can to help offenders find access to vital services including healthcare, housing, and treatment for drug and alcohol problems, they do not have sole responsibility for caring for them. We are conducting a review of post-release deaths, which aims to identify what further actions may be appropriate to prevent them, while recognising that a range of other organisations share responsibility for their wellbeing. We are also investing an extra £22m in ‘through-the-gate’ assistance for offenders, to help them find the support they need on issues such as housing, healthcare and employment, and they have the same access to these services as any other person in the community. The number of deaths under post-release supervision during 2017/18, broken down by time elapsed since release and by cause of death, is in the attached table. The figures are taken from probation providers’ annual reports. Care is taken when processing and analysing them, but the detail is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 12.07 KB)

Prisons: Drugs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of prisoners being released on temporary licence on the supply of drugs into prisons.

Lucy Frazer: We do not hold data centrally on what proportion of prisoners released on temporary licence supply drugs into prisons. By providing opportunities to work, learn and build family ties, temporary release from prison helps ensure offenders do not return to crime when they leave prison. We recognise that temporary release presents a potential route by which drugs might enter a prison and this is a key consideration in how the establishment operates its release on temporary licence (ROTL) regime. All offenders released on ROTL are subject to rigorous individual risk assessment and licence conditions. Returning with drugs is both a criminal offence and a breach of the licence conditions, which can lead to suspension of ROTL and a return to closed prison conditions, in addition to any other penalty. Evidence shows the vast majority abide by their temporary release conditions, with the compliance rate standing at well over 99%. Non-compliance is, and will continue to be, dealt with robustly. To respond to the risk from drugs in prisons, we are strengthening our gate and perimeter security, drafting specialist search teams into prisons across the country and investing in physical and technical security counter measures. Alongside this, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has developed a new, national Prison Drugs Strategy, published in April 2019. The Strategy outlines how HMPPS is working to restrict the supply of drugs, reduce demand through rehabilitative activities, and support prisoners to build recovery from substance misuse.

Prison Service: Industrial Health and Safety

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many calls have been made to his Department's Body Fluid Exposure and Sharps Injury telephone helpline by each prison in each month since December 2017.

Lucy Frazer: HMPPS has a duty of care to its staff to ensure they are provided immediate and specialist advice following suspected and actual Bodily Fluid Exposure (BFE) incidents. In December 2017 HMPPS put in place a 24 hour Bodily Fluid Exposure and Sharps Injury telephone helpline which provides an initial assessment by a qualified nurse clinician.The number of calls to the Body Fluid Exposure and Sharps Injury telephone helpline by Prison:(see annex B)



Annex B
(Excel SpreadSheet, 16.01 KB)

Prisons: Teachers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the cumulative years experience of teachers working in prisons in (a) 2010 (b) 2015 and (c) 2018.

Lucy Frazer: The information referred to is not collected centrally. Responsibility for education in adult prisons in England transferred from the Department for Education to the Ministry of Justice on 1 October 2016. Prior to that, prison education was managed and delivered by the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) under contracts held by the Skills Funding Agency. From 2016, revised OLASS arrangements placed responsibility on the OLASS contractor to ensure that competent and appropriately qualified staff were in place to deliver and assess learning delivered. New education delivery contracts in England are now in place: these were procured in succession to the OLASS arrangements that expired at the end of March. The new contracts require that all suppliers must operate a range of human resource and supplier personnel development arrangements that focus on establishing and maintaining a cadre of high-quality personnel capable of delivering an outstanding service

HM Inspectorate of Prisons

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve its procedures for implementing the recommendations made by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that recommendations for improvements made by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons are addressed.

Lucy Frazer: Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) has set up a new team within its assurance function that is responsible for co-ordinating the response to HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reports. The team has developed a risk based, three-tiered approach to monitoring progress against HMIP recommendations. Establishments are now subject to self-assessment exercises, face to face challenge meetings, or in depth follow up audits to determine how well they have responded to recommendations from their most recent HMIP inspection. The analysis of this work is provided to the Prison Management Committee and the Agency Leadership Team, to inform HMPPS on how well prisons are responding to HMIP recommendations, and to identify areas where progress is of concern. The HMPPS assurance teams also carry out audit visits ahead of HMIP Independent Reviews of Progress and regularly meet with HMIP colleagues to review progress made on implementing recommendations The HMPPS Prison Group Director structure is designed to improve support to prisons through smaller groups with closer oversight and grip of assurance processes, including implementation of HMIP recommendations.

Prisons: Education

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 273816, how enabling a governor to determine (a) what the curriculum is, (b) how it is delivered, and (c) who delivers it will ensure a consistent approach to delivery.

Lucy Frazer: Governor autonomy over curriculum and budget was a key recommendation of Dame Sally Coates’ review of prison education in 2016, alongside other recommendations to ensure high standards across the estate. The Government has taken these recommendations on board and taken steps to further improve the consistency of education and training across the prison estate, whilst at the same time providing more autonomy for governors. On 1 April 2019, we introduced a new Prison Education and Library Services Policy Framework in England that outlines the elements of service delivery that governors are duty bound to follow to ensure consistency. This includes, but is not limited to; mandatory assessments in maths and English for all prisoners, screening for Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD) and ensuring that staff delivering learning receive effective Continuing Professional Development. In addition, we have introduced a new core common curriculum of English, maths, ICT and English for speakers of other languages. We have also appointed four Common Awarding Organisations (City & Guilds; OCR; WAMITAB and Gateway Qualifications) in seven subjects. This means that a prisoner who starts a qualification in one prison will be able to complete it at another, rather than starting again as they move across the prison estate. This will also enable prisoners to follow their personal learning plan throughout the prison estate. Standards and consistency will ultimately be ensured through robust, regular inspections by Ofsted, which holds prisons to the same standards as mainstream further education provision and an accountability measure, which is under development.

Prison Officers: Training

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training his Department provides to prison officers on Rule 39 in relation to private legal post.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints have been made in the last three years in relation the breach of Rule 39; and what steps his Department has taken to resolve those complaints.

Lucy Frazer: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) provides training for staff tailored to their specific role in relation to the handling of prisoner communications including Rule 39. Operational support grades who handle mail as part of their core tasks receive appropriate training. Prison officers are trained on some aspects of handling legal documents, such as during cell searches and as part of their initial Prison Officer Entry Level training course. Electronic learning is available for staff engaged in interception and monitoring of prisoners’ communications. In addition, policy and guidance for staff on Rule 39 is set out in Prison Service Instructions (PSIs) on Prisoner Communication Services (PSI 49/2011) and The Interception of Communications in Prisons and Security Measures (PSI 04/2016), and further guidance to support the operation of these policies was issued to Governors earlier this month. To confirm the number of complaints received by each prison about Rule 39 over the last 3 years, a search of each prison’s complaints log would be required. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, processes are in place for complaints to be raised, and addressed, locally and can be escalated to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, where appropriate. A new Prisoner Complaints Policy Framework will be implemented on 1 August 2019, shaped by feedback received from staff, prisoners and stakeholders during extensive consultation in 2018. This supports staff to resolve prisoners’ issues fairly and effectively at an early stage and implement relevant Lammy review recommendations.

Reoffenders: Sentencing

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the largest number of previous convictions received by a person sentenced to immediate custody for the first time was in each year since 2007.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the largest number of previous convictions received by a person convicted but not sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence was in each year since 2007.

Lucy Frazer: The information requested is provided in the tables attached with this answer. These tables include data, covering the period 2007 – 2018, on:The highest number of previous convictions of offenders convicted and sentenced to immediate custody for the first time.The highest number of previous convictions of offenders convicted and not sentenced to immediate custody.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 11.04 KB)

Prison and Probation Service: Overtime

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours of overtime were worked by Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service staff in each year since 2010.

Lucy Frazer: A partial record is held centrally for operational prison staff at Bands 2 to 5 from April 2014 onwards. This is shown below and includes all rostered hours for Overtime and Payment Plus (a form of enhanced overtime payment).Numbers of Rostered Overtime hours for Operational Bands 2 to 5 in Public Sector Prisons and Youth Custody Services in England and Wales(Financial Year 2014/15 to 2018/19)Total hours rosteredStandardOvertime / Payment PlusOT / PP as % of totalFY 141544,300,9472,962,7746.3%FY 151649,062,7692,667,3475.2%FY 161747,636,9383,076,5546.1%FY 171844,426,5903,707,6087.7%FY 181955,543,5403,488,7625.9% Source: My Detail – which holds rostered hours across Public Sector Prisons and Youth Custody Service Establishments There is no centrally held overtime record for (i) Prison staff at higher grades or in support roles, (ii) HMPPS headquarters staff or (iii) the National Probation Service that was formed in June 2014. To compile a record for these groups of staff would incur disproportionate cost.

Prisoners' Release: Curfews

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were released under home detention curfew having been imprisoned for (a) violence against the person, (b) theft, (c) drug offences, (d) robbery, (e) common assault and battery, (f) burglary in a dwelling, (g) production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug - Class A, (h) possession of article with blade or point and (i) assaulting, resisting or obstructing a constable or designated officer in execution of duty in each year since 2007.

Lucy Frazer: The attached table shows the number of people released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC), in each year since 2007 by offence group. It is not possible to provide a breakdown under each of the headings requested for the data relating to 2007-14, due to the way it was recorded. HDC is a robust scheme which allows suitable, risk assessed, prisoners to work towards rehabilitation in the community, while remaining subject to strict monitoring and other conditions. If they breach these, they can be returned to custody.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 23.4 KB)

Sentencing

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the (a) average length of sentence for and (b) the number of people convicted of (i) violence against the person, (ii) sexual offences, (iii) robbery, (iv) theft offences, (v) criminal damage and arson, (vi) drug offences, (vii) possession of weapons and (viii) public order offences for offenders for which this was their (A) first, (B) second, (C) third, (D) fourth, (E) fifth, (F) sixth, (G) seventh and (H) eighth or more conviction for that type of offence in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of those offenders who were not given an immediate custodial sentence.

Lucy Frazer: The requested information cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Prison Officers: Pay

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the announcement, Pay rise for prison officers 2019, published by his Department on 22 July 2019, how much additional funding the Treasury has allocated to his Department for the pay award.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice will seek to find efficiency and affordability savings to fund the cost of the award.

Prisons: Rehabilitation and Reoffenders

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking in prisons to (a) reduce reoffending rates and (b) improve offender rehabilitation.

Lucy Frazer: We are committed to ensuring offenders leaving prison have the tools they need to turn their backs on crime - reducing reoffending and ultimately keeping the public safe.One year ago, we published our Education and Employment strategy, which set out how we will transform our approach to ensure offenders develop the skills they need to secure employment on release.Since the publication of the Education and Employment Strategy, we have given governors greater autonomy over their budgets to strengthen their education provision and implemented the New Futures Network to broker partnerships with employers, giving offenders more opportunities to work and train while serving their sentence and increase their chances of securing an immediate job on release. More than 230 businesses have registered to work with prisons and set offenders on a path to employment. We recently made changes so that governors can now consider Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) earlier and in more cases meaning offenders can enter the workplace sooner. We have also invested £7 million in in-cell telephones to allow offenders to maintain important family ties, which is fundamental to their rehabilitation. It is also vital that everyone leaving prison has somewhere safe and secure to live. Having stable accommodation acts as a platform to accessing other services vital to rehabilitation, as well as employment and education opportunities. As part of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Strategy, we are investing up to £6.4 million in a pilot scheme to support individuals released from three prisons; Bristol, Leeds and Pentonville.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Disabled Facilities Grants

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been disbursed for disabled facilities grants by (a) central Government and (b) Oxford County Council in 2019-20.

Luke Hall: Government provided £505 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) in 2019-20, of which £5,868,351 was allocated to Oxfordshire County Council. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the total funding disbursed by Oxfordshire County Council for the DFG in 2019-20.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding was disbursed for disabled facilities grants by (a) central Government and (b) local authorities in Oxfordshire in each year since 2010.

Luke Hall: Central Government’s funding of the Disabled Facilities Grant from 2010 to present is set out in the table below.MHCLG FundedMHCLG FundedMHCLG FundedMHCLG FundedMHCLG FundedDHSC FundedDHSC FundedDHSC FundedDHSC Funded DHSC FundedTotal2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-19 2019-20 (£m)(£m)(£m)(£m)(£m)(£m)(£m)(£m)(£m) (£m)(£bn)169200220200185220394473*523** 505£3.09 * £431 million annual grant plus additional £42 million in autumn budget 2017 ** £468 million annual grant plus an additional £55m announced in Budget 2018The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not hold information on how much funding was disbursed for Disabled Facilities Grants by local authorities in Oxfordshire in each year since 2010 and it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost to the Department

Disabled Facilities Grants

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding was disbursed for disabled facilities grants by (a) central Government and (b) Oxford County Council in each year from 2000 to 2009.

Luke Hall: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is unable to provide information on how much funding was disbursed for Disabled Facilities Grants by (a) central Government and (b) Oxfordshire County Council in each year between 2000 and 2009 without incurring disproportionate cost.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of applications for disabled facilities grants in (a) 2010-2019 and (b) 2000-2009.

Luke Hall: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the number of applications for Disabled Facilities Grants in (a) 2010-2019 and (b) 2000-2009.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of applications from (a) council tenants, (b) housing association tenants, (c) private tenants and (d) homeowners for disabled facilities grants were successful in each (i) constituent part and (ii) region of the UK in each year since 2010.

Luke Hall: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the proportion of Disabled Facilities Grant applications from (a) council tenants, (b) housing association tenants, (c) private tenants and (d) homeowners for disabled facilities grants were successful in each (i) constituent part and (ii) region of the UK in each year since 2010. This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost to the Department.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to publish its response to the independent report if published on 10 December 2018 entitled Disabled Facilities Grant and other adaptations: external review.

Luke Hall: The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) jointly commissioned an independent review of the Disabled Facilities Grant with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) which was published on 10 December 2018 and made 45 recommendations. Government welcomes the review and MHCLG is currently considering the review’s recommendations with DHSC and will respond in due course.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2019 to Question 270269 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, which operating models the United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation is considering to cover the running costs of the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Luke Hall: A range of operating models are being considered.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2019 to Question 270272 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, what further studies commissioned by the Government are under way or planned to establish the extent of the tree roots which will be affected by the construction of the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Luke Hall: As the opportunity arises, for example as we carry out further geo-technical and archaeological bore holes and trial pits, we will assess the presence of tree roots to increase our understanding of their extent and depth.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2019 to Question 270274 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, if he will define the green space referred to in the calculation that around 85 per cent of the green space in Victoria Tower Gardens will be retained after the construction of the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Luke Hall: The green space refers to all soft landscaping, including grass, planting and trees.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2019 to Question 270267 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, if he will list the elements in the search for potential sites for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre other than that conducted by the CBRE; and for what reason separate searches were undertaken for potential sites.

Luke Hall: Other efforts to identify a suitable location included publishing the search criteria, consulting the Government Property Unit and engaging with a wide range of organisations such as the Royal Parks, Holocaust commemorative and educational organisations, property owners and developers, property agents, London Borough authorities, universities, museums and cultural centres. Separate searches were undertake to ensure a wide range of options were considered.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2019 to Question 229625 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, how many of the 24 possible sites for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre reported by the CBRE to the board of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation on 11 January 2016 were not among the almost 50 possible sites identified between 7 September and 30 October 2015.

Luke Hall: All 24 sites reported were amongst the almost 50 possible sites previously identified.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2019 to Question 270268 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, which Ministers authorised representatives of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation to engage with Royal Parks on 2 December 2015 about the possible use of Victoria Tower Gardens for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Luke Hall: The then Secretary of States for the Department for Communities and Local Government and Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason Royal Parks was not informed in January 2016 that the Government planned to build the Holocaust Learning Centre and the Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens subject to constraints being overcome.

Luke Hall: In January 2016 the then Prime Minister announced that the national memorial to the Holocaust would be built in Victoria Tower Gardens. The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation’s advice has consistently been that the Memorial and Learning Centre should be co-located. Information obtained through the design competition allowed Ministers to conclude that co-location would be feasible and they announced on 24 October 2017 their decision to proceed with an integrated design.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 274442 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, what the membership was of the property sub-committee of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation from November 2015 to January 2016.

Luke Hall: The property sub-committee was a sub-set of the Foundation’s members, a full list of which can be viewed on its website.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 274442 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, on what date in November 2015 the property sub-committee of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation was asked to undertake a search of Government sites.

Luke Hall: The search for possible sites was already underway by November 2015 through a range of methods, including through engagement with the Government Property Unit.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2018 to Question 203300 on the National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, if he will require the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation to publish the minutes of its meetings as a condition of receiving public funds and support.

Luke Hall: The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation is an independent advisory body to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. It does not receive public funds and its minutes are the property of the Foundation.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures will be included in a future environmental land management scheme as outlined in the policy statement of 12 September 2018 on health and harmony: the future for food farming and the environment in a green Brexit, to promote farm cluster working and landscape-scale enhancement projects.

George Eustice: The new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will give farmers and land managers incentives to deliver a wide variety of environmental benefits through paying public money for delivering environmental public goods. In developing the ELM scheme we are exploring the role of farm cluster working and landscape scale enhancement, and how to incentivise this to maximise the delivery of environmental benefits.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Working Hours

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much time off in lieu has been taken by staff in his Department in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: Information relating to time taken off in lieu by staff is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs. Defra is committed to the wellbeing of its people and offers a flexible working policy. Employees at grades AA through to grade 6 may operate using flexi time. This allows employees to accumulate credit for time worked beyond their contracted hours. Credited hours may then be taken at a later date, subject to business need. Staff are permitted to build up and carry over 3 days each 4 week period.

Poultry: Antibiotics

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to reduce the use of antibiotics in chicken farming.

George Eustice: The British Poultry Council, representing 90% of UK chicken meat, reported a reduction in use from 49 mg/kg in 2014 to 10 mg/kg in 2017 (latest data). Their current published ambition is to keep use below 25 mg/kg. The UK national cross-government 5 Year action plan on antibiotic resistance includes our commitment to work with vets and farmers to keep sector targets under review and define new antibiotic use objectives by 2021.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made in planning for farm payments in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

George Eustice: The Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament, expected in 2022; this includes all funding provided for farm support under both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This commitment applies to the whole of the UK. The Government has further guaranteed that the current level of agricultural funding under CAP Pillar 1 will be upheld until 2020, as part of the transition to new domestic arrangements. To deliver this, Defra has made a number of statutory instruments under the powers in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. These statutory instruments provide certainty and stability to individuals and businesses by maintaining the current approach, ensuring the relevant EU-derived domestic legislation is operable following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and allowing the current CAP arrangements to continue to operate and payments to beneficiaries to be made.

Rural Development Programme

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for receiving rural development funding in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

George Eustice: The UK Government has guaranteed that any rural development projects where funding has been agreed before the end of 2020 will be funded for their full lifetime. This means in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal there will be no substantive change for farmers, land manages and rural businesses who have agreements funded by the UK Rural Development Programmes (RDP) due to finish after 31 October 2019, and existing application and contracting arrangements remain in place for those planning to seek funding after this date but before the end of 2020. We will continue to update information about the RDP for England and the schemes open for applications on the rural grants and payment pages of GOV.UK.

Fly-tipping

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department has allocated to (a) Barnsley local authority and (b) local authorities in England to encourage them to search and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We are taking strong action to tackle waste crime. We have created a Joint Unit on Waste Crime. The Environment Agency has received an extra £60m to tackle waste crime since 2014. We have updated legislation regulating waste. These include increasing the powers for the Environment Agency to tackle problem waste sites, enhanced technical competence requirements for permitted waste sites, and introducing new penalties for breaches of the duty of care for household waste. We will further reform the legislative framework for the waste duty of care and carriers, brokers and dealers, mandating the digital tracking of waste (subject to consultation), tackling the waste exemptions most often linked to criminal activity and enhancing operator competence. We are developing a toolkit for local authorities and others to tackle fly-tipping, including specific guidance on strengthening evidence for prosecution cases. We will work with magistrates and the Judicial Office to raise awareness for magistrates of the prevalence and importance of tackling waste crime, including fly-tipping, and offer training in the environmental offences sentencing guideline. The Government has provided local authorities with over £200 billion for this spending period. While councils make their own spending decisions, we would expect councils to prioritise these to deliver what their residents want to see, including investing in tackling fly-tipping.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2019 to Question 271328, for what reasons his Department does not offer a payroll deduction service to enable employees to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: Defra does not currently have the facility for employees to join a credit union through payroll deductions. Staff can make arrangements to contribute to a credit union via direct debit. Defra is currently investigating options for enhancing Employee Financial Wellbeing as part of a cross Civil Service pilot. Once the pilot is complete, my department will be considering options for our staff, including the possibility of credit unions.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the badger culling programme.

George Eustice: During 2018, badger culling operations in 32 areas of England were all successful in meeting their targets. According to Natural England’s chief scientist, the results show that industry-led badger culling continues to deliver the level of effectiveness required by the policy to be confident of achieving disease control benefits. Assessments of the effectiveness of badger culling are published annually on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bovine-tb-controlling-the-risk-of-bovine-tb-from-badgers

Climate Change: Equality

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of climate change on social and economic inequality in the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has not made such a specific assessment though we do consider the distributional impact of our interventions on different groups, including low income households, in our adaptation planning. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-second-national-adaptation-programme-2018-to-2023

Home Office

Visas: Applications

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received on the efficiency of the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services online appointment booking system; and if he will make a statement.

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to improve the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services online appointment bookings system; and if he will make a statement.

Seema Kennedy: Sopra Steria Ltd (SSL) monitors the performance of the UKVCAS website and regularly reviews feedback from customers to ensure the website meets their needs and expectations.So far, since service inception in November, the following improvements have been made to the online booking system:- more detailed information in the FAQs section to help customers resolve problems - improved visibility of appointments by expanding the number of locations that customers can view from four to eight. - extended period for customers booking appointments from four to six weeks for core service points and from two to four weeks for enhanced service points.

Visas: Rugby (Sport)

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-UK professional male rugby players sponsored by (a) the Rugby Football Union and (b) rugby clubs issued governing body endorsements to become a sponsor have received Tier 2 and Tier 5 migrant visas in each of the last 10 years.

Seema Kennedy: The Home Office does not collate or publish the information requested.

Visas: Migrant Workers

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the requirements are for an organisation to qualify to sponsor Tier 2 and Tier 5 visas; and how many organisations meet those qualifications.

Seema Kennedy: The requirements to become a sponsor and maintain this status are set out in the Tiers 2 and 5: guidance for sponsors. Currently, there are more than 30,000 organisations that are licenced sponsors.

Visas: Rugby (Sport)

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of funding for women's rugby clubs in English women’s rugby championships and premierships on the ability of non-UK professional women rugby players to receive Tier 2 and Tier 5 migrant visas; and what other options are available for non-UK women rugby players to remain in the UK.

Seema Kennedy: The funding of UK sports is a matter for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.Tiers 2 and 5 are our principle immigration routes for those wishing to play professional sport in the UK. Other visa options may be open to some migrants depending on their individual circumstances.

Free Movement of Labour

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether businesses will be able to move skilled workers between UK and EU premises in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and what the rules governing that movement will be.

Seema Kennedy: The Government remains committed to reaching an agreement with the EU before the 31 October 2019. The Government has confirmed that the EU Settlement Scheme will continue to operate whether the UK leaves the EU with or without a negotiated deal. This ensures that the rights of EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK before it leaves the EU will be protected in every outcome.In the event that a deal is not agreed with the EU, arrangements for EEA and Swiss citizens arriving for three months or less after free movement ends will not look any different. To stay longer than three months during the transitional period, newly arrived EEA and Swiss citizens will need to apply for permission. Subject to identity and criminality checks, they will be granted European Temporary Leave to Remain for a further 36 months. If they wish to stay in the UK for longer than the 36 months, they will then need to qualify and apply under the future skills-based immigration system.The Government published a White Paper on the future system on 18 December 2018. This committed to maintaining a route for intra-company transfers to allow companies easily to transfer existing employees from an overseas branch to their UK office. UK-based multi-national businesses will also be able to continue moving their skilled staff to the EU through the pro-visions set out in the EU’s Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Investment

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether UK businesses are eligible to apply for funding from the Investment Promotion Programme.

Graham Stuart: All suitable qualified UK businesses will be eligible to bid for the procurement of service delivery contracts of the Investment Promotion Programme (IPP); all commercial processes are in line with Government Commercial Operating standards.

Tradeshow Access Programme: Finance

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of funding of the Tradeshow Access Programme.

Graham Stuart: For the last 2 years funding for TAP has remained at £6.5m. The overall TAP budget is in line with the last Spending Review settlement. An evaluation of TAP is being commissioned to understand how to improve programme delivery and the impact the scheme has on businesses and the wider economy. This will inform future budget allocations.

Job Creation: East Midlands

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he has taken to support job creation from foreign direct investment in the East Midlands.

Graham Stuart: In 2016 the Department for International Trade established the Midlands Engine Investment Hub which has developed several sector-based investment propositions for the Foreign Direct Investment offer in key Midlands sectors, including the East Midlands. These are now promoted widely within DIT’s International network. There were 69 investment projects that landed in the East Midlands in tax year 2018-2019, with 1,823 associated new jobs. On 30 July the first East Midlands proposition within DIT’s High Potential Opportunities programme was launched. This showcases the Leicester Space Park offer and will be promoted to a targeted list of overseas investors.

Electronic Surveillance: Hong Kong

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what human rights assessment was made before the approval of an export licence for telecommunications interception equipment to Hong Kong.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what criteria are used to assess whether to grant export licences to foreign governments for surveillance technology.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the use in Hong Kong of telecommunications interception equipment purchased from the UK; and will he make a statement.

Graham Stuart: All export licence applications, including for Hong Kong, are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking into account all relevant factors at the time of the application, including how the goods will be used. There was one licence issued to Hong Kong for telecommunications equipment in the first quarter of 2019, for use in counter terrorism, counter narcotics, counter trafficking and search and rescue operations. We draw on a range of sources in making our assessments, including our overseas network. Risks around human rights violations or abuses are a key part of our assessment. We do not license equipment where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the reason is for the difference in the number of extant arms export licences for Saudi Arabia for possible use in Yemen under review as a result of the court of appeal's Judgment of 20 June 2019 set out in (a) DEP2019-0710 that referenced 95 OIELS, (b) DEP2019-0711 that referenced 71 SIELS and 65 OIELS and (c) the 27 June 2019 witness statement to the Court of Appeal by Edward Bell that referenced 45 arms export licences.

Graham Stuart: DEP2019-0710, provided in response to UIN 267765, gave information on all extant Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) for Saudi Arabia, including those for dual-use items as well as for military goods; whereas DEP2019-0711, provided in response to UIN 268564, gave information on all extant export licences for military-rated goods (but not dual-use items) for Saudi Arabia, including Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) as well as OIELs. The witness statement referred to pending applications, not extant licences.

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether (a) the United Arab Emirates, (b) Kuwait, (c) Bahrain and (d) Egypt will be invited to send a delegation to the defence and security equipment international exhibition on 10 to 13 September.

Graham Stuart: The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt have been invited to send delegations to the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition on 10 to 13 September.

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which Cabinet colleagues will attend the Defence and Security Equipment International 2019 event.

Graham Stuart: The Government ministers who will attend the Defence and Security Equipment International 2019 event have not yet been confirmed.

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support the Government is providing to the Defence and Security Equipment International 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: The Government provides a range of support to Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI), including the provision of military assets and engagement by Government Ministers. The Department for International Trade’s Defence and Security Organisation invites a number of international delegates on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government including overseas ministers, senior Government officials and military staff. All invitations to overseas delegations follow a stringent process of scrutiny and approval involving both the Department for International Trade and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Exports: Angus

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support is being provided to businesses in Angus to access new foreign markets and increase export volumes.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade provides support to companies in Angus, Scotland and the rest of the UK through key programmes including the GREAT campaign, sector specific export initiatives, assistance for exporters in 108 overseas markets and the financial assistance to exporters offered by UK Export Finance. We are committed to seeking continuity in current trade and investment relationships, including those covered by EU third country Free Trade Agreements and other EU preferential arrangements.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Greyhound Racing: Taxation

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory levy in greyhound racing for greyhound welfare.

Rebecca Pow: On 10th January 2019 the Government announced a new funding commitment from bookmakers, worth an estimated £3 million this year, to ensure the welfare of greyhounds is protected and improved. This commitment is set to increase the total amount of the voluntary levy bookmakers pay to the British Greyhound Racing Fund (BGRF) to an estimated £10m this year. We expect thousands of racing greyhounds will be better cared for as a result of this new deal.